The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library - Hardcover

9780060821081: The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

The archaeological find of the twentieth century was the astounding discovery by an Egyptian peasant in December 1945 of a large storage jar filled with ancient papyrus manuscripts. Painstakingly restored and translated, these fragments came to be known collectively as the Nag Hammadi library. Through them we glimpse a fascinating alternative perspective on Jesus and many of his earliest followers, including the influence of Gnosticism on their beliefs.

"Gnosticism," a term alluding to special mystical knowledge, designates a series of religious movements that have existed since ancient times. This philosophy permeated Judaism, Greco-Roman religion, and what now appear to be different varieties of Christianity. Some of these alternative views, including Jesus’s relationship to Mary Magdalene, have revolutionized biblical scholarship and were recently sensationalized by Dan Brown in his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code.

The struggle to publish these ancient manuscripts has at times seemed like an ancient story of Egyptian magic -- filled with curses and drama. Included in these discoveries are several gospels of Jesus’s life that never made it into the modern Christian Bible as well as a treasury of lost, esoteric wisdom that portrays a side of Christianity suppressed by the institutionalized church. Meyer provides an overview of all the texts and their contents, grouping the codices by their respective genres, schools of thought, or attributed author, and discussing their meaning and significance for us today. He also provides an appendix that for the first time offers a quick survey of all the texts of the Nag Hammadi library and the Berlin Gnostic Codex, summarizing the contents of each of the texts and offering select quotations to illustrate their character and style.

The Gnostic Discoveries is the best available guide to the history and significance of the find at Nag Hammadi -- an amazing archaeological link to the founding of the largest religion in the world.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Marvin Meyer is one of the foremost scholars on early Christianity and texts about Jesus outside the New Testament. He is Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California. Among his recent books are The Gospel of Judas, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus, The Gospels of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Nag Hammadi Scriptures.

From Publishers Weekly:
Before the discovery of the Nag Hammadi documents in the 1940s, Gnosticism was considered to be a form of anti-Christian heresy taught by some early church fathers and condemned by others. Modern readers depended on secondary works condemning Gnosticism in order to understand its proponents' point of view. But with the unearthing of the Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, scholars have a better idea of the scope and direction of Gnostic teaching in the early years of Christianity as told by its adherents. Meyer, professor of Bible and Christian studies at Chapman University in California, boasts nine previous publications on the subject and demonstrates a deep understanding of both the history and content of the documents. After briefly recounting their discovery, he analyzes their content, sorting through the teachings and relating them, not just to the biblical text, but even to the bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. Although there is no new material, the author's concise presentation will appeal to many readers. Meyer writes clearly, bringing both the people and the times of the early Gnostic writings to life and making them accessible to scholar and layperson alike. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherHarperOne
  • Publication date2005
  • ISBN 10 0060821086
  • ISBN 13 9780060821081
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages256
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780060858322: Gnostic Discoveries, The: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780060858322
Publisher: HarperOne, 2006
Softcover

  • 9780232526721: Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library

    Darton..., 2006
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0060821086

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.33
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
West Coast Bookseller
(Moorpark, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # A8-306yz

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 25.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.29
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0060821086

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 26.62
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0060821086

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 26.90
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0060821086

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 30.33
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GF Books, Inc.
(Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0060821086-2-1

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 56.98
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Aragon Books Canada
(OTTAWA, ON, Canada)

Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # RCBH--0023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 34.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 23.00
From Canada to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
The Book Spot
(Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks78030

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 59.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Meyer, Marvin W.
Published by HarperOne (2005)
ISBN 10: 0060821086 ISBN 13: 9780060821081
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.05. Seller Inventory # Q-0060821086

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 61.17
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.91
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds